Marion Barber a no-show, others sit at Bears practice

Thursday

Dec 22, 2011 at 12:01 AMDec 22, 2011 at 10:16 PM

LAKE FOREST — Running back Marion Barber was not at Bears practice Wednesday, and offensive coordinator Mike Martz said he did not know his status for Sunday’s game. Barber is questionable with a calf injury, but his absence was unexplained.

Jay Taft

LAKE FOREST — Running back Marion Barber was not at Bears practice Wednesday, and offensive coordinator Mike Martz said he did not know his status for Sunday’s game. Barber is questionable with a calf injury, but his absence was unexplained.

When asked whether the team would lean on Kahlil Bell more this week, Martz answered: “There’s nobody else to lean on.”

A total of eight one-time Bear starters sat out. Other players who did not participate in practice were LB Lance Briggs (ankle), DE Julius Peppers (knee), DT Henry Melton (shin), PR Devin Hester (ankle), TE Kellen Davis (back), as well as QB Jay Cutler (thumb) and RB Matt Forte (knee). Smith said he hopes to have all of those players, except Cutler and Forte, back for Sunday’s game.

McCarthy rules out Bulaga

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy ruled offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga out for Sunday’s game, while another Green Bay tackle, rookie Derek Sherrod, was recently placed on IR with a broken leg. Wide receiver Gregg Jennings was also ruled out of the Bears-Packers game.

“You don’t want to get injuries; you especially don’t want to get injuries down the stretch,” McCarthy said in a telephone interview. “But that’s part of our challenge preparing for the Bears.”

Hanie takes No. 2 snaps

Josh McCown was boosted up to the No. 1 spot in the Bears’ current quarterback hierarchy, but Nathan Enderle did not get a promotion. Caleb Hanie will be replaced as starter, and he took over the snaps with the No. 2 offense Wednesday.

Enderle remained the team’s third-string QB.

Tice calls out Webb

Although he said he thinks J’Marcus Webb has had a “good season,” offensive line coach Mike Tice also said he was disappointed in Webb’s play last weekend, and that he suffered a bit of a “setback.”

“Pass-wise, he got beat inside on that first third down, he kind of went into a little funk, and I couldn’t get him to snap out of it,” Tice said. “He had a good day today, though, and I look for him to bounce back and have a good, solid game.”

Webb, who leads the team in penalties with 14, has started every game at left tackle for the Bears.

Bears reporter Jay Taft can be reached at 815-987-1384 or jtaft@rrstar.com.

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